Cruz, who was attending an international security conference in Munich, wants to use Kurdish fighters — known as the peshmerga — as the ground forces in combination with U.S.-led airstrikes. He says those fighters are effective and ready.

"We need to arm the Kurds now because they are our boots on the ground," he told CNN's "State of the Union."

[Editor's note: The original story summary incorrectly identified Ted Cruz. He's a senator from Texas]